


A Force Change

by Strange_Hearts



Series: My Obidala Stories [1]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, F/M, Obidala
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-22
Updated: 2013-10-22
Packaged: 2017-12-30 03:37:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1013630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strange_Hearts/pseuds/Strange_Hearts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <b>What if Obi-Wan hadn't been a Jedi, but a slave on Tatooine, while Anakin was the Jedi Padawan?  And what if, though he was already freed, he was still there during the events of <i>The Phantom Menace</i>, and ended up being the one to help Padmé and the others?</b>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Force Change

**Author's Note:**

> **  
>  _Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, I'm just using it for my own fun._   
>  **   
>  **  
>  _Okay, here is my first Star Wars story, and, as you can tell by the summary, it is an AU, though it also still follows Canon events. The basic idea is that, instead of Padmé meeting Obi-Wan when he helps rescue her on Naboo and meeting Anakin when she enters Watto's shop, it's the other way around. Padmé meets Anakin when he helps rescue her and Obiwan when she enters Watto's shop._   
>  **   
>  **  
>  _I'm not sure when the idea for this story came to be, I just knew that I wanted to write it, and I have officially decided to post the first chapter, at the very least, in order to see what the response is for it. I'm very nervous about doing this - because my knowledge of Star Wars is pretty much the movies, I will probably get something things wrong, mostly with technical terms. Still, I will do my best not to disappoint._   
>  **   
>  **  
>  _Okay, there are a few notes that I want known before you being reading. First, Anakin and Obi-Wan have obviously switched positions in the world, although it's not a complete switch. Obi-Wan was a slave, but - as I will explain later in the story - is not one any longer. Anakin's background is slightly the same as it is in the movies - he was a slave before being discovered by Qui-Gon. However, he does not win his freedom - Qui-Gon actually buys him. His mother staying a slave, the Jedi council's initial rejection of him, and Palpatine being able to influence him are all the same, as is the fact that he gains a crush on Padmé, whom he becomes friends with before they land on Tatooine. However, there is a difference - instead of being nine/ten when he first meets Padmé, he is twelve years old. He was also discovered by Qui-Gon when he was seven, and has been his Padawan basically ever since. Qui-Gon only bothered with him because he believes him to be the chosen one._   
>  **   
>  **  
>  _As for Obi-Wan, he is twenty-five, was in slavery as far back as he can remember - born in it - but was freed for certain reasons that will be mentioned in the fic. At the moment, this is all the information I can think of to give, but i think anything else, I'll put a note down for it when I do._   
>  **

Obi-Wan Kenobi brushed back the sweat on his brow as he continued working on the broken droid that his boss, Watto, had set him to do. He wasn't really afraid that Watto would punish him if he didn't finish his work – despite having once been a slave to Watto, Watto, while not the best alien around, had always been pretty decent to him, and the transition from being a slave to a worker had only improved the attitude Watto had to him.

Still, he didn't want to work during the hottest part of the day, as he would if he didn't finish. While he was in a shaded area, it was still outside, and the sand baked underneath the two suns, making it even hotter than it would be otherwise. Besides, Obi-Wan was rather good at telling when a sand storm would come, and his instincts told him that there would be one sometime that day.

Sighing, he picked up another piece of the droid, easily fitting it into where it would go, and then setting it down, working on yet another one, finishing it as quickly as possible. He licked his slightly dry lips, smiling slightly as he realized that he was almost finished. It took just one more quick twist of fixing the nose on one of the droids before he was finally finished. Standing up, he carried them to the inventory room, where Watto would check them over before putting them on the shelves.

He headed out to grab one of the bins he needed to go through, as pilots were always dropping useful things into them, things that could be used in one way or another. One wouldn't think that junk like that could be possible, but they'd be wrong. Obi-Wan had used more than enough parts found there that Watto let him keep in order to help finish a protocol droid the son of one of the other slaves had left, which she had then gifted to him when she'd moved in with her new husband.

He had drug one of the bins to his shade, able to feel the heat from the hot black metal – it was only through the fact that he'd worn a pair of thick gloves made specifically for what he was doing that kept him from being burnt – when he heard Watto calling him from inside the shop. He quickly pulled off the gloves, placing them on his seat before hurrying through the back door of the shop. It wouldn't do to ignore Watto, who would never let him hear the end of it. While Watto wouldn't beat him, he would nag at him, something that would have him working later for the day.

" _Yes, Watto_ ," he said in Huttese, not even looking at the group of people he could sense in the shop with them. He'd probably get a chance to study them at some point, anyway.

" _Watch the shop. I've got a sale to make_ ," Watto told him, before switching to basic, and leading one of them – a middle-aged man – out to the back, an astromech droid a bit too clean and sleek to have been on Tatooine for very long following him, leaving Obi-Wan with the other two of the group. He looked at them now, after settling himself against the counter, where he'd have a good view of the door. He first saw an alien of an unknown species beginning to look around, curiosity radiating from him. Obi-Wan knew immediately that this Alien was from a planet that had to be inhabited with water, for it's limps, flappy ears, and slight duck billed mouth looked as though it wouldn't be too out of place for such a planet.

His perusal of the alien done, he looked at the other one, feeling as if he breath was taken away as he did so. It was a female humanoid, a very beautiful female humanoid. She was young, definitely younger than himself, though was clearly no child at the same time. She wore a very simple peasant outfit, as if to say she was nothing special but he had the feeling that it was nothing more than a mask. Her pale skin and delicate features told him that she wasn't from here, and he couldn't help himself from speaking to her as she fidgeted nervously in front of him.

"Are you an angel?" he asked, then bit his lip as he realized that wasn't what he planned on asking her. Still, it did what it was meant to, and she looked at him, startled.

"What?" she asked.

"An angel," he stated. "The deep space pilots tend to talk about them around the little kids. They told me all about them when I was younger. Angels are the most beautiful creatures in the galaxy, and they live on the moons of...Iago, I think."

"Well, I don't live near Iago, so I don't think I am one," she said. Obi-Wan smiled at her.

"You never know," he said, and she laughed.

"Do you hear a lot about what these pilots say?" she asked him. He nodded.

"Ever since Watto became my master, I've gotten to listen to a lot of stories that pilots looking to buy or trade things speak about," he stated. "Truthfully, it's intertesting, and I'm kind of glad that my last master lost me to Watto, as I would have never heard any of these stories otherwise."

"Your a slave?" she blurted out, looking surprised.

"And you're obviously not from around here," he answered back, knowing that it would be the only way she wouldn't know about his status – or, rather, why she would appear so surprised about it. "And my name is Obi-Wan."

"I'm sorry," she stated, feeling as though she'd offended him. He shrugged. "And your right, I'm not from around here. This is a strange place to me."

"Don't worry about it," he stated. "Truthfully, it's probably a good thing your not from around here, as most people around here tend to have the life sucked from them, for lack of another thing to say. Living here is a hardship that takes a lot out of a person. As for the answer to your question, I was one, but I've been freed since I was twelve. I've only stayed with Watto because he pays me for my work, as well as let's me live in one of his houses in the slave quarters."

She nodded, and went to say something else when there was a noise on the other side of the shop. Slightly startled, Obi-Wan noticed that the alien had somehow activated one of the droids. It was now trying to fix it's mistake, but losing horribly.

"Hey," he said, as the droid kicked out at the alien once again. "Hit the nose."

The alien did as he stated, and the droid dropped back into inactive mode.

"Do you know how long they'll be?" the girl asked him, and Obi-Wan hoped that his status or his words hadn't caused her to dislike talking to him.

"It could be awhile," he stated. "Watto likes to haggle over price, trying to get as much as possible."

"Oh," she said, looking down. Then, as if just realizing something, she looked back up at him. "I haven't given you my name yet, have I?"

"No, I am afraid I don't know your name yet," he told her, smiling kindly as she blushed.

"It's Padmé," she said.

"Padmé," he said slowly, as if tasting the name on his lips. "It's a beautiful name."

"Thank you," she said, but, before anything else between them could be spoken, the male she'd come with stalked from the back. He had a slightly upset look on his face as he passed by.

"Let's go," he stated gruffly, ignoring Obi-Wan. Padmé was slightly shocked at his manners as he called to Jar Jar, but Obi-Wan, who was not only used to being ignored but who also had a feeling he knew what had happened, wasn't upset or even feeling slighted by the attack. Padmé sighed, knowing that she couldn't afford to be separated from her guide, and began walking out, turning to look at Obi-Wan.

"It was nice to meet you, Obi-Wan," she said.

"It was nice to meet you too," Obi-Wan said, her voice rising a bit so that she could hear him. She looked back at him once more, smiling at him before turning and disappearing through the door. Watto came back in at that moment, and Obi-Wan looked over to him.

" _Outlanders_ ," Watto grumbled. _"Think we don't know anything."_

" _They seemed nice to me,"_ Obi-Wan told him. _"Though you are definitely right about them being outlanders. Neither that girl nor the alien could be found around this planet, looking the way they do."_

Watto made a noise of agreement before looking over at Obi-Wan.

" _There's going to be a storm coming today, so quickly dump the bins into a container as set them back outside. Then, you can go home,"_ he stated. Obi-Wan smiled.

 _Thank you_ ," he stated, straightening as he hurried to do just that. It wasn't hard work at all, and he finished within a few standard minutes. Closing and locking the store room door, he turned and walked to the back gate, locking it as well before extending the overhead protector, so no one got the bright idea to try and steal anything during the night. Then, once he was done, he headed back inside, informing Watto of what he'd done – earning praise for his actions – and collecting the small bit of money Watto always made sure to give him before leaving.

As he was walking to Jira's food shop, he was distracted by a commotion occurring not to far in front of him. He immediately noticed the alien that had been with Padmé and the strange male earlier in the shop. The alien had gotten into some bad trouble, an old pod racer named Sebulba threatening him. He hurried forward, not liking the fact that Sebulba was once again picking on someone weaker than him.

" _Careful, Sebulba,"_ Obi-Wan stated as he came closer, gaining the dug's attention. The dug narrowed his eyes threateningly at Obi-Wan, who simply raised an eye brow at him. _"I wouldn't want to fight with him. He connected, big time. I'd hate to think of what the Hutts would do to you, especially before we have time to race again."_

" _The next time we race, slave, you won't survive. If it wasn't for the fact that I have better things to do than deal with old slave scum like you, I'd rid of you now_ ," Sebulba growled, letting the alien go.

" _You woudn't win in a straight up fight against me_ ," Obi-Wan stated, not arrogantly, but truthfully. Since growing up, Obi-Wan had been in a fair few fights already, winning most of them. Many, including Watto, usually betted for him in those fights. Obi-Wan knew that it was actually what had led to his freedom all those years ago, after he'd won several rounds of the fights when he was twelve, a feat he tended to repeat yearly.

Padmé and the male came up then, with the droid.

"Hi," Obi-Wan stated to Padmé briefly, before turning and looking at the male. "Your friend here was about to become orange goo. He picked a fight with a dug, an especially dangerous dug called Sebulba."

"No," the alien protested, trying to deny having meant to do that. The older male cut him off, mentioning that, even if he hadn't meant to do that, it was the effects of what had happened, then thanked Obi-Wan for his help.

"It was no problem," Obi-Wan stated. At that moment, there was a stomach rumble in the air, and the group turned to look at the alien, who blushed.

"You hungry?" Obi-Wan asked him, having a sudden strike of inspiration. He was hoping to be able to get to know Padmé a bit more, and a walk over to Jira's stand with the rest of them would be just the thing.

The alien nodded.

"Come on," Obi-Wan stated, motioning to them all. "I can get you something to eat, something a bit better than those things." He motioned to the hanging frogs. "Those tend to sit out in the sun most of the day, which can make them quite disgusting."

"Thank you," Padmé stated, feeling her own stomach rumble silently. Hopefully, wherever Obi-Wan lead them too, it would have food acceptable for non-aliens as well.

He led them to Jira, who greeted him warmly, asking how he was doing and asked after his companions. Obi-Wan answered Jira's questions politely, though with a hint of sadness within him, for he sensed that she didn't have long to live. Once the pleasantries were out of the way, Obi-Wan ordered for several pallies, along with some of the fresh fruits that had come from the moisture farmers during the last season run, several standard weeks ago.

"Here," Obi-Wan said, handing Padmé and the alien a fruit each, paying Jira for the food.

"Oh, my bones are aching," Jira stated as she took the money, handing him a bag filled with what he'd just bought. She looked towards the right, in the direction they'd come from, as a slight breeze began to work it's way through town. "Storms coming. You'd better head home, quickly."

She stood then, as Obi-Wan looked in the direction the breeze came from himself. Sand began to pick up as the breeze became stronger, and he turned to the others, a sense of urgency within him.

"Do you have shelter?" he asked them, doing his best to stay calm.

"We'll head back to our ship," the older male stated.

"Where is it?" Obi-Wan asked, as the group unconsciously began to walk away from Jira, who was pulling everything into her little space to board down so the storm didn't take anything.

"It's on the outskirts," Padmé told him.

"You'll never make it there in time, and it wouldn't be wise of you to try. Sandstorms can be very dangerous," Obi-Wan told them. "Come on, you can wait it out at my house."

He didn't wait for an answer, just took her gently by the hand and pulled her along behind him gently. They weren't even half there when the storm actually struck. Sand and grit pelted their bodies, hands coming up to shield bodies and eyes narrowing to keep the foreign bits from entering them. Obi-Wan was glad that he knew the way to his place by heart, as this storm was even worse than he'd thought it would be, the sand buffering at the bag that protected his face – his other hand wasn't free, so he had to use the one that held the food from Jira's to shield his face.

Coming to his little abode – a two bedroom, one fresher house with kitchen and living area – he opened the door, leading the group inside.

"Master Obi-Wan," came a robotic voice as a dull gold-plated protocol droid appeared. He seemed startled at the presence of several others, but took it in stride.

"Oh, hello. I am C-3PO, human-Cyborg relation. How are you?" he stated. The astromech droid with the group greeted him immediately.

"R2-D2, wonderful to meet you," C-3PO stated. Obi-Wan walked passed the two now chattering droids into the kitchen, where he placed his purchases on a cleared counter.

"I suppose that I should introduce myself," came the voice of the male from behind Obi-Wan. He turned towards him. "I'm Qui-Gon Jinn," Qui-Gon stated.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Obi-Wan told him.

"Thank you for offering us shelter from the storm," Qui-Gon stated.

"It was no problem," Obi-Wan told him, as Padmé came walking into the room. Qui-Gon seemed to realize what, or, rather, who had really caused the young boy in front of him to offer them shelter, but said nothing as he left the room, pulling out his comlink as he did so. He didn't realize that, as he pulled it out, Obi-Wan, who'd turned at that moment, saw his sabre hanging from his belt, and realized that he wasn't any ordinary farmer.

"Can I help?" Padmé asked him, motioning to the bags.

"Sure," Obi-Wan said, slightly distracted by the side of the sabre, but quickly bringing his attention back to what he was doing. "I planned on putting everything away and making dinner. I have the feeling that the storm won't be done before night, and only a fool leaves the city then."

Padmé nodded her head, taking some of the items that he handed her and placing them where he murmured they went. Soon, only a few things were left in front of him, and she watched as he began to peel, slice, and cook the items, mixing them together with a few spices and some water creating a stew that looked as though it would be hearty. It wasn't a whole lot – just enough for them all to have a full bowl – but, seeing the conditions that he lived in, the fact that he could do that much was rather nice of him. It also drove to home just how much less food he'd have once they'd left. It didn't look as though he was given a whole lot of money, after all, and, from what she could tell, out here, he'd probably need every little bit he was given.

He left the stew to simmer for a bit, going to the table and clearing it of most things on it, leaving only a bowl of what looked like dried fruits on it, which he placed the rest of the items he'd gotten that day in, including more pieces of the fruits that he'd given her and Jar Jar. This made her think of something.

"What was the fruit you gave me earlier called? It was very delicious," she said.

"Paillé," he told her. "It's one of the few things that'll grow pretty well her on Tatooine. As far as I know, though, it doesn't grow all that well on other planets."

She nodded, understanding that, if she ever wanted it again, she'd have to figure out a way to get it from here. She pondered that for a few moments, before she realized that she was staring at him as he began to set the table. Blushing, she walked over to him.

"Let me," she murmured reaching for and taking the bowls he'd pulled down from him. He let her have them, walking over to grab utensils instead. The smell of the stew permeaded the air as he handed those to her as well, letting her set the table as she seemed to want to do. Soon, he was bringing the stew over to the table, placing the pot near the center, and Padmé went to get Qui-Gon and Jar Jar, so they knew that it was time to eat.

Dinner passed rather quietly, with most of the talk coming from Padmé and Obi-Wan. The amiable talk between them stuttered for a few moments when Obi-Wan, slightly harsher than he actually meant to say, almost scolded Padmé for believing that the Republic had any say in what happened on Tatooine. It was silent for a few moments after that, until Obi-Wan asked if anyone of them had seen a pod race, going and grasping for the first idea he could think to talk about.

While Padmé hadn't, Qui-Gon had, and Obi-Wan made mention of the fact that he was the only human that could handle being in the race, a fact that had Qui-Gon mentioning that he had to have Jedi reflexes in order to be able to do that. The mention of Jedi brought Obi-Wan's mind to the sabre she'd seen. He looked at the older man, wondering if he should just ask about it, when his mouth and voice made up his mind for him.

"You're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?" he said to Qui-Gon. The table went silent, Padmé looking worried, but Qui-Gon looked calm, slightly calculating.

"What makes you say that?" he asked Obi-Wan.

"I saw your light sword. Only Jedi carry a weapon like that," Obi-Wan said.

"Perhaps I killed a Jedi, and took it from him," Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan snorted.

"I sincerely doubt that," Obi-Wan said. "While not completely invincible, I do know for a fact that they are not the easiest beings to kill."

Qui-Gon tipped his head, acknowledging that Obi-Wan was right.

"I can see that there isn't any fooling you," Qui-Gon stated. "We're on a mission, a very important mission, to Coruscant."

Padmé wondered why Qui-Gon was mentioning this to Obi-Wan, then realized that it might be more than helpful if they had someone on the planet helping them.

"How'd you end up here?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Our ship was damaged, and we were stranded," Padmé said.

"Which is why you need the parts," Obi-Wan realized.

"With nothing to trade for it," Padmé added, then sighed. "There must be a weakness of some sorts among the shop keepers here."

"Gambling," Obi-Wan said. "Everything revolves around gambling, whether in card games, on the pod races, or in the fights."

It was clear that, based on the look on Padmé's face, she couldn't see how that could help them, something that Obi-Wan noticed.

"Greed can be a powerful ally, Padmé, so long as you're careful," Obi-Wan told her. She sighed, but nodded, knowing that he was right. Still, she wasn't all that comfortable having to deal with doing something that she thought of as being dishonest.

"So, do you know where anything of this sort takes place, which would generated the most money, and when would each of these events take place?" Qui-Gon asked, knowing that the latter two were probably not a normal occurrence.

"Well, the card games are always going, and they take place in any of the bars in town, with the best being Wumpa's. However, they don't generate a whole lot of money, not quickly anyway, unless you either play a lot of games, or you play in the big-stakes game, which only takes place on certain nights," Obi-Wan said. "In honestly, your best bet is either the podrace, fights, or both. However, both have their share of problems. The main problem is that you can't use Republic credits to enter for either one. You'll have to come up with another means for an entry, which could only be used for one or the other, not both, so you'd have to chose which of the remaining two to try.

"And then, there's both the amount of time for both, as well as the probability of how much you'd make. However, luckily for you, Boonta Eve is tomorrow, and, with it, is the Boonta Eve Classic, which is a podrace, with the Boonta Eve Tradition, which is several rounds of sword fights. The Classic is in the morning, and would help you get some money if you made a bet. However, since you'd have to make a bet on who'd win, and everyone pretty much already knows who would win, so that amount would be pretty split up, and you wouldn't get enough credits to get the parts you need.

"The fights, which take place that night, are different. While there is no absolute guarantee over who'd win in them, much like the podraces, there is someone who has won every single fight they've been in. Unlike the podraces, between the fact that the fights are not brodcasted as much as the podrace is and the fact that many of those who make the bets are drunk and overly confident over having won has their bets all over the place and not directed on one person. And they tend to bet big as well. The only problem you'd have, if you wanted to just do the fights, is that you'd need Tatooine credits to even place a bet."

"Which is why you suggested betting on the podrace first," Qui-Gon stated, gently rubbing his chin as he thought about what he'd just been told. He had to admit, the plan had quite a bit of merit.

"But how would we know who to bet on for either of these things," Padmé said, knowing that the gambling would indeed still be happening.

"You'd bet on Sebulba for the podrace," Obi-Wan stated firmly. "He's won everyone he's been in, and is actually usually the only one left alive by the end of the track."

"How..." Padmé started to ask, eyes wide as she took in Obi-Wan's words.

"The only rules in the Boonta Eve podrace is that, if it's not caught on camera, it's legal to do," Obi-Wan said. "And as the cameras area situated pretty far from each other, stationary, and always in the same places, it's very easy to find the blind spots."

Padmé, though disgusted, nodded. "And the fighter we'd need to bet on. Who is it?"

"Myself," Obi-Wan stated. "I've been in the fights since I was eleven, have won every single once since then, and am considered the best of the last fight division, which is the Final Conquest division, which will be the only division that you need to worry about all that much."

Padmé's mouth fell open in shock, while Qui-Gon had expected this. Obi-Wan did seem to know quite a bit about these facts, plus, from just studying him gave Qui-Gon the expectation that he was speaking to someone with fight experience. While he had spoken a bit about podracing, Qui-Gon had had the feeling that, while he could do it, there was something else he was better at as well.

Padmé wasn't quite sure of what to say after hearing that. And dinner finished in silence.

* * *

 

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon ended up speaking after dinner, alone, where Obi-Wan, after Qui-Gon had mentioned where'd he'd go to enter a bet for the podraces, in which Obi-Wan explained in great detail, and – somehow knowing what it was that Qui-Gon would be entering, suggested that he not mentioned the problems with the cruiser, as they wouldn't take one that wouldn't run.

Afterward, leaving Qui-Gon alone, he made his way to the spare room, where Jar Jar and Qui-Gon would be sleeping, powering down See-Threepio as he passed by him. He saw that Jar Jar was already asleep, curled up on the floor, leaving Qui-Gon access to the bed. Shaking his head that strange alien, whose name he'd only learned moments before dinner, he walked over to the closet, opening it up and taking every spare blanket out, knowing that they'd be needed. While the days were hot, the nights went past freezing, and, while he often kept the bedrooms equipped with a slight heater to stave off the cold, the rest of the house wasn't like that. Already having offered his bed to Padmé – who had reluctantly accepted it after Obi-Wan mentioned that he would prefer it if she took it – he knew he needed to make up a bed on the small living area, on the sofa.

Once that was done, and after acerting that Qui-Gon had come in from the courtyard, he closed every door and window, pulling the covers over all to both keep unwanted people from looking in as to help try and keep the cold from seeping into the room. He made sure to lock everything as well, placing his security code to doubly lock the doors and to make sure that, if anyone tried to, they wouldn't be able to get in, then laid down, falling asleep almost immediately.

* * *

 

Padmé fell asleep rather easily, much to her surprise. Being in a strange bed, she had expected to take a bit longer to fall asleep, but she found the scent of Obi-Wan – which surrounded her on the bed – to be rather intoxicating. The dreams that followed all stared him as well, and she found herself wishing that some were, or would, come true. She rather liked him, and was definitely interested in him, as the way a woman was interested in a man. Not even her young age dimmed the fact.

She was quite glad that the room was heated slightly, though the cold that Obi-Wan had mentioned could be felt when she'd gotten out of bed the one time to use the fresher. Even with all of her clothes – which were made of a slightly heavy material – were on, she could still feel it, and it made her feel bad for having kicked him out of his room, until she remembered his argument about how he was used to it, more than she was.

The next morning, she as among the last to awaken, and she was surprised to discover that Obi-Wan was the only one there, Jar Jar and Qui-Gon both gone. Confused, she walked up to Obi-Wan, greeting him and asking where the other two were.

"They went to where the Podrace will be held, for Qui-Gon to place his bet down. He was planning on waking you, but eventually decided that not to," Obi-Wan explained. "Personally, I kind of agree. The race is not a place you should be, due to how violent it can be. Of course, I don't think you should be at the fights either, but..."

"Why?" Padmé asked. Obi-Wan hesitated for a moment, but decided to be straight with her.

"The fights are just as violent, even moreso than the race," Obi-Wan stated. "A fight truly only ends if someone yields, is knocked out, or straight up killed, with the final rounds of fights, which is what the Final Conquest division basically is, taking away the yielding option. Part of the reason why I am considered the champion is that I get paid to kill my opponents in those fights."

Padmé gasped, not quite sure how to take that confession. The only thing she could truly say was that it did not disgust her – or, rather, he didn't – though the idea that he'd have to kill someone – for she seemed to sense that it would come down to that – was unsettling in that it would help get them the money they needed to pay for the part they need. However, as much as she wished to do so, she didn't speak against the action; it was their only plan, and the longer they were on Tatooine, the more her people suffered.

"I don't know if I can watch that, but I also know that it'll drive me crazy if I'm here alone while waiting to discover what'll happen," Padmé finally said.

"And if you had C-3PO and Jar Jar here with you?" Obi-Wan asked, wondering if there was a way to keep her from the fights, as the crowd itself wasn't a place for her to be, either.

"Perhaps," Padmé stated. "Why?"

"The fights themselves are not the only thing that would cause me to worry about you. The crowds can get rough, and I know for a fact that it's rather easy to grab someone from them and harm them without anyone realizing it. While Qui-Gon, as a Jedi, might be able to prevent this, it would actually be better if he didn't have to resort to doing that, and no one there will take too kindly to a Jedi in their mists," he explained. Padmé nodded, biting her lip.

"If I have company, then I will gladly stay here," she told him, though she couldn't help but wish otherwise. Obi-Wan looked relieved, though, and it made her feel better – more than that, she realized that he would have most likely been distracted with worry for her if she'd gone, which could have cause problems. It made her decide that, perhaps, she would just stay there even without company.

* * *

 

The day went by pretty quickly, and Qui-Gon, alone, watched as the fights began. He had been surprised when the young handmaiden hadn't insisted on coming with then, but eventually realized that the young man had managed to convince her not to. He was surprisingly thankful for that fact, as he knew that she would have wondered what it was that he'd put up as a bet earlier.

As Obi-Wan had warned, the amount of credit he'd been given upon winning his bets weren't enough for the hyperdrive needed, and, upon arriving where the fights would take place, placed all the credits on Obi-Wan winning, as instructed. He'd gotten a lot of jazz for that – apparently, not only were those who had won the podraces already drunk and having bet on several others, but there were more than a few who, it seemed, had never seen Obi-Wan fight.

As he kept a slight eye on the fights, waiting for the rounds that Obi-Wan would have to do, he pondered to young man. He was unlike any man he'd ever met, calm and kind despite the rather meager means he lived in. He had opened his home to them, fed them, and helped them come up with a way to pay for the parts they need, all without any thought of a reward. Qui-Gon knew, of course, that while a part of that was because the man was kind, most of it was due to the attract he seemed to hold for the young handmaiden, an attraction that was returned based on what he'd seen.

He smiled, having the feeling that the match could be good, if the young man came with them. However, he knew that he really couldn't just invite the man onto the cruiser with them, especially considering the fact that it wasn't his choice, but the queen's. Still, he somehow got the feeling that the young man would be coming with them anyway, if the way he and the handmaiden were acting were something to go off of, and it was that thought that had him paying extra attention to what Obi-Wan did during this fight.

By the end, as Obi-Wan won all of his fights, he was more than impressed with what he saw. He had been afraid that, as a fighter, Obi-Wan would enjoy beating people as he was supposed to when doing this. However, from what he could tell, Obi-Wan didn't take in pleasure in knocking out or killing his opponents. He just had a grimness about him as he did the job and – something that seemed to make him rather popular – he often did a small prayer over their fallen bodies, something everyone seemed to go silent and join in with.

All in all, Qui-Gon was very impressed over the actions, and, after collecting his winnings, he waited for Obi-Wan outside of the arena.

"Congratulations," he said as the young man came out.

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said. "Do you have enough for the parts you need now?"

"Yes," Qui-Gon stated.

"Well, Watto will have his shop open for another several hours, if you wish to get the part now. In fact, I would suggest that you do – the days after the fights tend to be the busiest," Obi-Wan stated.

"Then I guess we'll be making a stop at Watto's shop," Qui-Gon said. The detour was rather easy to make, and, now that he had the money, Qui-Gon was able to purchase the part with ease. Using a cart that could be hooked onto an eopie, they brought it to Obi-Wan's little house, where they discovered that Jar Jar and Padmé had fallen asleep in the living room, waiting for them to come back, the lights in the room keeping it warm.

Qui-Gon brought the hyperdrive into the kitchen, making sure it was out of the way, before going and rousing Jar Jar awake to lead him into their shared room. Obi-Wan was more gently with Padmé, choosing not to wake her – instead, he picked her up, bridal style, and brought her to his room, laying her down on the bed and covering her with the blanket. He took a quick stop at the fresher, checking and bandaging any of his wounds, locked all the doors and windows, and laid down on the couch, falling asleep within moments.

Barely four hours later, he roused, feeling a sense of warning run through him. Standing, he pulled on a heavy poncho, meant for going out on the cold nights, and left the house, not even thinking about his guests. He hurried to where he felt the warning, dread filling him as he noticed the large crowd around Watto's shop. He got as close as he could, then, seeing one of his friends, made is way over.

"What happened?" he asked, finally noticing several of the other shop keepers crowing around a man with beedy eyes and an oily looked to him.

"They heard the sounds of blaster shots, and caught him running from the place with a load of stolen goods from the shop," his friend said. "One of them just came from the inside – Watto's dead. They're about to dispense justice, as is their right. After that, I don't know what they're going to do."

Obi-Wan nodded, feeling a bi numb. Watto was dead. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Watto, while gruff and not the nicest being around, had always been okay to him, even when he was his slave. He'd even freed him, though Obi-Wan knew that it was most the fact that he had to be free to continue in the fights like he had. Still, Watto had given him a place to live, as well as a job to do when not doing the fights, something he didn't have to do at all. He realized that he wasn't glad for Watto's death, but that, at the same time, while slightly saddened, he was mostly indifference about the whole deal.

Truthfully, he was now worried about where he'd live. While it may be possible, it was unlikely that whoever took over Watto's shop – which would most likely be appointed to the position by Jabba – would be willing to let him stay where he'd been living, effectively putting him out of his home. He sighed, knowing that he had a whole slew of friends who'd be willing to put up with him, but he didn't like the idea of forcing his presence of them for who knew how long, as many of them did not have a lot of room at their homes. No, the chances were, he wouldn't be able to stay there in Mos Espa. Maybe he could send a letter to Shmi Lars, see if she and her family could put up with him for a night or so. He knew she wouldn't mind, nor would her husband, but, if he did go that route, he definitely wouldn't overstay his welcome to the point of becoming unbarable. He'd also pay for the few nights he stayed there, as well.

Padmé was up when Obi-Wan walked through the door, having just noticed the hyperdrive. She looked over to Obi-Wan, immediate worry crossing her face when she noticed his expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked, coming over to him. He sighed, then told her his situation. She wasn't surprised about his indifference to Watto's death, having understood that, because of Obi-Wan's past with him, it made it rather hard to do so. She was more sympathetic with his lack of a home now, and, despite the fact that she had already been thinking about doing this, she asked, "Would you like to come with us?"

He turned and looked at her, pausing in his movements of folding the blankets he'd used to sleep. His face showed his surprise at the offer, not having expected it.

"Are you allowed to offer that?" he blurted out, then went a bit red at the question. She gave a little giggle.

"I am," she said. "I...used the comlink that Qui-Gon had left to speak to my...employer, who agreed that it would be alright for you to come with us."

It wasn't fully a lie. She had spoken to Sabé – however, being the queen, and, therefore, the one to decide whether it would be alright for him to come or not, she had merely informed Sabé of her intentions. The older girl had been surprised over that fact, though she hadn't tried to talk Padmé out of extending the offer. Instead, she'd said that she looked forward to meeting this man that had Padmé so willing to offer him a ride on the ship.

Obi-Wan stood still, thinking, weighing the pros and cons of going with. The thinking process didn't take all that long, for he just couldn't see a reason not to, other than not having money off of Tatooine, a problem he knew he could fix easily – in fact, it was be beyond easy, since he was being offered a bit of a free ride now, and he found himself looking at her again.

"I...I would like that," he said simply, a smile crossing his face upon seeing her own brilliant one.

"Great!" Padmé said brightly, before a blush stained her cheeks. "Um, I have a feeling that we'll be leaving today, once everyone's awake."

"That should give me some time to pack, as well as arrange for transportation to your ship," he said. "That hyperdrive is going to be a bit too heavy to carry to the outskirts, after all."

"True," Padmé said, glancing over to it. "What would be the best way to get it to the ship?"

"One of the pack animals," Obi-Wan said. "So long as someone is willing to take them back, you could easily rent some of one of the merchants near the edge of town."

"That won't be a problem to do," Qui-Gon's voice suddenly stated, startling the two of them. "I'll bring back the animals while the Hyperdrive is being installed, and then walk back there."

"All right, then," Obi-Wan said. "I guess I should start packing, then. We can also eat before I leave to go get the animals."

**Author's Note:**

> **  
>  _Story end notes: Yes, Obi-Wan can use the Force, though he doesn't realize it, as he hasn't been specifically trained to do so. And he will find out that he can use the Force eventually._   
>  **


End file.
